EP0502825A1 - Handle unit for window, especially for a tilting and turning window, and screw cap - Google Patents

Abstract

In the commercially conventional handle units, there is a helical spring performing the function of pressing down a plate serving as a screw cap and of holding it in the covering position. In the handle unit according to the invention, there is no need for the hitherto conventional helical spring. The handle unit consists essentially of the handle element (11) made of shell-cast aluminium, a rose (16), a detent bush (17) and a square pin (19). Since a helical spring no longer has to be provided, no recess for the helical spring is needed in the handle element (11). This affords a more favourable shape for producing the handle element by the shell-cast aluminium process. Furthermore, the absence of a recess enables the designer to make the handle neck more slender than in the hitherto existing handles. The rose (16) has two passage orifices (25) for screws (21). In the region of the passage orifices (25) is located a recess (29), into which a screw cap (15) can be inserted. The screw cap (15) possesses two fingers (39) with barbs (41). By displacement counter to the force of the spring (45), the screw cap (15) can, if required, be removed. Since the screw caps are used only after the fitting has been installed in the window (22), there is no risk that they will be scratched during production, transport or installation. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to an operating lever unit for windows, in particular turn-tilt windows, which has a lever element, a rosette with through openings for screws, a square pin and at least one screw cover. Such control lever units form part of a fitting that is brought onto the market by all leading manufacturers a million times over. The European market potential is estimated at around 25 million a year. These high quantities suggest that production be rationalized as much as possible. There were three major problems with rationalization. One problem relates to the manufacture of the lever element and the second problem relates to the automatic assembly of the operating lever unit consisting of the lever element, rosette, square pin and possibly other components such as a locking bush. The third problem is the danger that the screw cover can be scratched. Other problems arose in the market and when used in construction.

The commercially available control lever units have a coil spring, which has the function of pressing on the sheet metal serving as a screw cover and holding it in the cover position. The need for such a spring creates a lot of disadvantages. The spring requires a special handle with a recess for the spring. It is therefore not possible to use any handles as lever elements. This is particularly disadvantageous because there has been a long demand for fitting programs in which the door handle and window handle are identical. Apart from that, the special design of the lever element serving as a handle proves to be disadvantageous in terms of design, because each lever element has to be dimensioned in such a way that there is sufficient space for the recess. It can also be mentioned that in the case of automatic assembly, the feeding of coil springs proves to be very complex and limits the speed of assembly.

Finally, the automatic assembly of the cover plates is also problematic. These can be scratched during the automatic manufacture, transport or assembly of the fitting. The subsequent replacement of a scratched cover plate proves to be impossible. It is also not possible to add customer embossing to cover plates. Rather, the dealer must order the finished operating lever unit with the label requested by the customer.

Problems also arise in the manufacture of the lever element using the aluminum mold casting process. It is a relatively difficult technique that only a few manufacturers are fully able to master. The more complicated the shape of the lever element, the greater the risk that rejects will be produced. The need for a recess for the coil spring requires a special procedure when casting and special attention by the founder.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an operating lever unit which avoids at least some of the disadvantages mentioned. In particular, the lever element and the rosette should be able to be designed more freely than before. It should also be possible to retrofit a rosette with the lettering requested by the customer. For the production, it is desirable that the components, such as lever element, rosette, square pin, etc., can be combined to form an operating lever unit by an automatic assembly process. Shaping of the lever element should also be avoided, which can cause difficulties in the production of the lever element in the aluminum mold casting process.

According to the invention, an operating lever unit of the type mentioned at the outset for achieving the object is characterized in that the rosette has a recess in the area of each through opening for a screw and in that the screw cover has a contour which fits into the Recess fits. With this design of the operating lever unit, the need for the previously customary coil spring is eliminated. As a result, there is also no need to provide a recess on the lever element that is difficult to produce in the die-cast aluminum. This has the advantage that the design of the lever element can be designed more freely than before. Any door or window handle can even be used as a lever element.

The control lever unit according to the invention also has the advantage that both the manufacture of the lever element and the assembly of the control lever unit are made considerably easier and cheaper. Since the screw covers can be used in the window after the fitting has been installed, there is no risk of them being scratched during manufacture, transport and installation of the operating lever unit. For customers who want so-called customer stamping, the dealer no longer has to order the finished operating lever unit with the desired label. Rather, it is sufficient to procure the screw cover provided with the inscription. In urgent cases, the operating lever unit can be delivered to the customer in advance from the warehouse, who can then install it in the window immediately. In the meantime, the screw covers can be labeled so that they are ready for insertion after the control lever unit has been installed.

Large manufacturers also have adjustment and maintenance work after the windows have been installed on the building. The control lever unit according to the invention now offers such window manufacturers the possibility of making cheap wholesale purchases for all branches, but ordering screw covers for each branch with the name and telephone number of the branch.

The respective recess of the rosette expediently has an undercut in which the screw cover can snap into place. This securely fixes the screw cover without the need for any additional means.

The recess and the screw cover advantageously have a square contour. This will make it easier to insert the screw cover. However, it is also possible to provide a circular contour for the same purpose.

A further recess for receiving a reinforcing washer can be provided under the recess for the screw cover. This reinforcing disc is advantageously made of metal, e.g. galvanized iron sheet.

A preferred embodiment of the operating lever unit provides that the screw cover has at least one finger with a barb and that the rosette has an opening for each finger into which it can penetrate and engage with a barb. This ensures that the screw cover is securely attached.

The screw cover advantageously has a spring element which allows the screw cover to be displaced in order to loosen the barb and to remove the screw cover. This allows maintenance work, whereupon the screw cover can be used again without any problems. In order to facilitate removal, a notch can be provided on the edge of the recess. This allows the screw cover to be moved using a pointed object.

The rosette is advantageously made of plastic. This enables a pleasing shape. The screw cover is also advantageously made of plastic.

• Figur 1 eine bekannte Bedienungshebeleinheit, wie sie seit etwa dreissig Jahren auf dem Markt ist, in auseinandergezogener Darstellung,
• Figur 2 die Bedienungshebeleinheit von Figur 1 in zusammengesetztem Zustand,
• Figur 3 die Bedienungshebeleinheit nach dem Festschrauben an einem Fenster,
• Figur 4 die Bedienungshebeleinheit wie in Figur 3, aber nach dem Verschieben des Abdeckbleches in die Abdeckstellung,
• Figur 5 ein Ausführungsbeispiel der erfindungsgemässen Bedienungshebeleinheit in auseinandergezogenem Zustand,
• Figur 6 die Bedienungseinheit von Figur 5 in zusammengesetztem Zustand,
• Figur 7 die Bedienungshebeleinheit von Figur 6 nach der Montage an einem Fenster,
• Figur 8 die Bedienungshebeleinheit von Figur 7 nach dem Einsetzen der Schraubenabdeckungen,
• Figur 9 eine Rosette im Schnitt, wobei das Einsetzen der Verstärkungsscheiben und der Schraubenabdeckungen angedeutet wird,
• Figur 10 eine Vorderansicht der Rosette von Figur 9,
• Figur 11 die Rosette nach dem Einsetzen der Schraubenabdeckungen,
• Figur 12 die Rosette von hinten betrachtet,
• Figur 13 und 14 in vergrösserter Darstellung einen Schnitt wie in Figur 9, wobei das Einsetzen der Schraubenabdeckung dargestellt wird,
• Figur 15 eine Variante der Rosette von Figur 10,
• Figur 16 die Rosette von Figur 15 nach dem Einsetzen der Schraubenabdeckungen und
• Figur 17 einen Schnitt entlang der Linie XVII - XVII von Figur 16.

The prior art and an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawing. It shows:

• 1 shows a known operating lever unit, as it has been on the market for about thirty years, in an exploded view,
• FIG. 2 shows the operating lever unit from FIG. 1 in the assembled state,
• FIG. 3 shows the operating lever unit after being screwed onto a window,
• FIG. 4 shows the operating lever unit as in FIG. 3, but after the cover plate has been moved into the cover position,
• FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the operating lever unit according to the invention in an exploded state,
• FIG. 6 shows the operating unit from FIG. 5 in the assembled state,
• FIG. 7 shows the operating lever unit from FIG. 6 after mounting on a window,
• FIG. 8 shows the operating lever unit from FIG. 7 after the screw covers have been inserted,
• FIG. 9 shows a rosette in section, the insertion of the reinforcement disks and the screw covers being indicated,
• FIG. 10 shows a front view of the rosette from FIG. 9,
• FIG. 11 shows the rosette after the screw covers have been inserted,
• FIG. 12 the rosette viewed from behind,
• 13 and 14 in an enlarged representation a section as in FIG. 9, the insertion of the screw cover being shown,
• FIG. 15 shows a variant of the rosette from FIG. 10,
• Figure 16 shows the rosette of Figure 15 after inserting the screw covers and
• FIG. 17 shows a section along the line XVII - XVII from FIG. 16.

A commercially available operating lever unit shown in Figures 1 to 4 consists essentially of the lever element 11 made of die-cast aluminum, the pressure spring 13, the cover plate 15, the rosette 16, the locking bush 17 and the square pin 19. The pressure spring 13 has the task that To hold cover plate 15 in the cover position shown in Figure 4. After driving in the screws 21, the cover plate 15 can be brought from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position in FIG. 4 in which it covers the screws. So that the lever element 11, ie the so-called window handle, can accommodate the helical spring 13, it has a recess 14 on the handle neck. As already mentioned before, this recess 14 is difficult to manufacture in the manufacture of the lever element 11 in the aluminum mold casting process.

An exemplary embodiment of the operating lever unit according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 in analogy to the known operating lever unit shown previously. This exemplary embodiment again comprises a lever element 11, a rosette 16, a locking bush 17 and a square pin 19. It is now essential that no coil spring 13 (FIG. 1) has to be provided. As a result, no recess for a helical spring is necessary in the lever element 11. As indicated, this enables the designer to make the handle neck slimmer. Even more important, however, is the more favorable shaping achieved by the elimination of the recess 14 in FIG. 1 for the production of the lever element in the aluminum mold casting process. The operating lever unit shown in Figures 5 and 6 is particularly suitable for automatic assembly, since the Problems with the coil spring 13 and the cover plate 15 of Figure 1 are eliminated.

FIG. 7 shows the operating lever unit after being tightened by means of screws 21 on the window 22. FIG. 8 shows the operating lever unit from FIG. 7 after the screw covers 15 have been inserted.

The design of the rosette 16 and the screw covers 15 is shown in detail in FIGS. 9 to 14. The rosette 16 is made of plastic in the usual way and has two through openings 25 for screws 21 (FIG. 7). The reference number 27 denotes the opening for receiving the pin 28 (FIG. 5) of the lever element 11. In the area of each through opening 25 there is a recess 29 for inserting the screw cover 15. This screw cover 15 has a contour which fits into the recess 29. As FIGS. 13 and 14 show, an undercut 31 is provided, into which the screw cover 15 can snap into place. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the cutouts 29 and the screw cover 15 have a square contour. This will make it easier to insert the screw cover. However, other contours are also possible, e.g. circular or polygonal. In the embodiment shown, a further recess 33 is provided under the recess 29, into which a reinforcing disk 35, e.g. made of galvanized iron sheet, can be used.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention according to FIGS. 15 to 17, the rosette 16 differs from that of FIGS. 9 to 11 essentially only in that two openings 37 are provided for the fingers 39 of the screw cover 15. The fingers 39 have barbs 41 which can snap into the rosette 16 in order to firmly connect the screw cover 15 to it. The screw cover 15 has a slot 43, so that a web 45 is formed, which acts as a spring when the screw cover 15 is moved in the direction of the arrow 47 (FIG. 17). For this purpose For example, a screwdriver can be inserted into the notch 49 of the rosette. When shifting against the force of the spring 45, the barbs 37 are released from the rosette 16 so that the screw cover 15 can be removed.

As already mentioned in the introduction, the screw cover 15 can be provided with a so-called customer embossing, that is to say an inscription 51.

Claims (11)

Operating lever unit for windows, in particular tilt-and-turn windows, which has a lever element (11), a rosette (16) provided with through openings (25) for screws (21), a square pin (19), and at least one screw cover (15) that the rosette (16) has a recess (29) in the area of each through opening (25) for a screw (21) and that the screw cover (15) has a contour that fits into the recess (29). Operating lever unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective recess (29) of the rosette (16) has an undercut (31) into which the screw cover (15) can snap. Operating lever unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recess (29) and the screw cover (15) have a square contour. Operating lever unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recess (29) and the screw cover (15) have a circular contour. Operating lever unit according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that under the recess (29) for the screw cover (15) a further recess (33) is provided for receiving a reinforcing washer (35). Operating lever unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the reinforcing disc (35) made of metal, e.g. galvanized iron sheet. Operating lever unit according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the screw cover (15) has at least one finger (39) with a barb (41) and that the rosette (16) for each finger (39) has an opening (37) into which it can penetrate and engage with the barb (41). Operating lever unit according to claim 7, characterized in that the screw cover (15) has a spring element (45) which allows the screw cover (15) to be displaced in order to release the barb (41) and to remove the screw cover (15). Operating lever unit according to claim 8, characterized in that a notch (49) is provided on the edge of the recess (29) in order to allow the screw cover (15) to be displaced by means of a pointed object. Operating lever unit according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the rosette (16) consists of plastic. Operating lever unit according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the screw cover (15) consists of plastic.

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